10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
101,704 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2002 Audi A4 lights problems

lights problem

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2002 Audi A4 Owner Comments

problem #15

Nov 242020

A4

  • 370,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2002 Audi A4 with 370K burned a bit of oil which was fine cleaned the engine out with cleaners it smoked a bit which is normal.. headlights started flickering 'hids' so I parked it. 3 days later I go to take the car on a test drive and the drivers headlight lit on fire ! not sure if it was a headlight issue or a wiring issue.. insurance will not cover it.

- Ashland, PA, USA

problem #14

Apr 092012

A4

  • 113,500 miles
Immediately after the first rainfall in my ownership with this vehicle, both headlights stopped working. Audi has not done anything to fix this problem. This is not a convenience issue but a safety issue for driving at night.

- Green Bay, WI, USA

problem #13

Nov 162011

A4 6-cyl

  • 119,000 miles
After driving for a few minutes the left dipped headlight message displays on the dash and the left (driver side) headlight will flicker on and off a few times and then go out completely. Turning the headlights off and on a few times will get it to come on again but only for a short time. This is a safety issue as the lights are a required safety item on all vehicles and it is a ticketable item. This needs to be a safety recall from Audi as none of the dealers seem to know how to repair the item without having you spend thousands of dollars trying to swap out parts until you find something that might stop it. Most blogs have said that the dealer can never find a solution to the problem after they have spent $2-3K and finally gave up and are driving the car without 1 or more headlights.

- Star, ID, USA

problem #12

Aug 012011

A4

  • 100,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2002 Audi A4. The contact was driving 25 mph when the front driver side headlight illuminated on and off before failing completely. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was contacted but the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage 143,000.

- Everett, WA, USA

problem #11

Oct 242010

A4

  • miles
No known events lead up to the failure. The message "left dipped headlight" appears and the left headlight stops working at the same time. This problem happens frequently in Audi A4 of model year 2002-06.

- Nashville, TN, USA

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problem #10

Jun 282010

A4

  • 110,000 miles
The headlights for the 2002-2005(6) Audi A4 will flicker on and off and often turn off completely while driving this is not caused by ann accident or improper care but rather faulty manufacturing. It is very common with these vehicles. When this problem begins it will typically occur regularly (every use of the vehicle). Replacing the bulbs does not correct this problem as it is inherent in the igniter which Audi charges approximately $600.

- Avondale, AZ, USA

problem #9

Sep 052010

A4

  • 155,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2002 Audi A4 with hid head lamps turn off intermittently while driving vehicle. Get an error code "front right dipped headlight" or "left front dipped headlight" while lights go off completely. Has been going on for years such that I had the bulbs replaced but did not fix problem.

- Birmingham, MI, USA

problem #8

Jul 172010

A4

  • 106,555 miles
Passenger side headlight on 2002 Audi A4 quattro keeps malfunctioning after multiple dealership maintenance.

- Worcester, MA, USA

problem #7

Aug 102010

A4

  • 58,000 miles
My 2002 Audi A4 3.0 has a recurring issue where the left headlight goes out while driving. I will drive for a few minutes, then get a "left dipped headlight" notification. If I tap the exterior of the light it will temporarily return to power. But within a few more minutes the light goes back out. There was no event that brought on the failure. It just happened one night and has continued since then. No one seems to know how to fix the issue, although one mechanic has said they could replace the whole unit for close to $1000. That's something I can't afford, but this is a safety issue and ticketable offense so I've been forced to limit my night and early morning driving.

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

problem #6

Jul 152009

A4 4-cyl

  • 102,000 miles
I own a 2002 Audi A4 1.8L turbo. Every time I need to use my headlights, I get a "left headlamp dipped" message and the left headlight does not turn on. There are no events that lead up to this other than starting the car and turning my lights on. It has occurred now for 1 year. At first, turning the lights off and on repeatedly would temporarily fix the problem and turn both lights on. But now, the left light will never turn on and the error message still appears. I have spoken with and read many Audi owners complaints regarding this exact problem- all of which have not solved the issue, even after taking it to Audi dealerships for service. Audi technicians are unable to find the answer, and Audi seems to be perplexed. This is a serious problem when driving at night! essentially, I can not drive at night anymore for fear of losing my only working headlight, and for fear of being ticketed by police. Audi needs to find a solution and fix their headlamps.

- Alexandria, VA, USA

problem #5

Jun 292010

A4

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2002 Audi A4 3.0 quattro sedan has had pulsating/flickering headlights for several months if not a year or two. Central electronic module was replaced however the pulsating headlights continued. Thereafter, Audi indicated "left dipping headlight" which occurred when the left headlight died. Previous attempts have failed to solve this problem. Furthermore, there are numerous arguments that support the notion that Audi/ Audi of America has had a degree of knowledge in terms of this ongoing problem yet have failed to adequately solve it.

- Grandview, WA, USA

problem #4

Jan 152010

A4

  • 97,000 miles
I have an 2002 Audi A4 1.8T quattro. When I turn the lights on, my left xenon headlight blinks intermittently, then, very often, turns off then back on. I then get an error message regarding my "left dipped headlight." If I turn the lights off, the error message goes away and then the cycle repeats itself again (lights shut off, then error message). This has been going on for several months now. I have complained to the dealership about it, but nothing has been done to resolve this problem.

- Danville, CA, USA

problem #3

Feb 152010

A4 4-cyl

  • 99,500 miles
I bought a 2002 3.0 A4 quattro about 9 months ago. A month after buying it the left headlight went out. When you start the car it gives you a "left dipped headlight" warning and then has a picture of a bulb with an X across it. I took the car in and ended up buying a new bulb for it. Turns out the bulb wasn't out and the problem resolved itself in about a week. The light worked fine after that. About 5 months ago I installed aftermarket headlights. They worked perfectly up until two weeks ago. Now I am getting the same "left dipped headlight" warning when I turn on the lights. This only affects the low beams. The parking lights and high beams work just fine. I figured the problem would resolve itself as it did last time, but that has not been the case. I've done a lot of research and found that many Audi owners have had this problem and nobody has found a fix for it. Regardless of how many times they take the car to the dealership or replace the bulbs, the problem still returns. I'm not sure what to do about this problem.

- Bellevue, NE, USA

problem #2

Jun 232008

A4

  • 95,000 miles
Head lights flicker and go out. The dash computer indicates a dipped headlight, then it goes out. Replacing bulb does not fix problem.

- Columbus, Ohio, OH, USA

problem #1

Nov 052008

A4

  • miles
One day I received a message in my info center about "left dipped headlight" and an icon flashing with an "X" a the stick-figured bulb, went out to the front of the car and noticed my left bi-xenon was out, but my right one was not. Turned the lights/car on and off, once turned back on, still nothing, switched the right bulb into the left side socket, turn the car on, still no light coming from the "left dipped headlight", I immediately went to google this problem when I arrived home later that day, and I found a lot of post all over the internet about this problem with Audi car lights going on and them bringing it to the dealer and the dealer telling them they do not know what is wrong, so I went for myself and they told me that they received this problem before but do not know how to treat it, but for $500 they can order a new headlight and for $200 a new bi-xenon lightbulb and $200 labor we can replace the whole headlight unit. They wanted me to pay $900 for light to come out of my car, even though I paid $40,000 for a car to already do that. Besides the point, they do not know what is wrong with it, I would say a couple hundred people have this problem from all the posts I've seen and also all the people that have not posted anything. Its very dangerous due to the fact after my left one had gone out, my right one had also gone out later that day but came back on after a few tries. But that's a total blackout I had on the highway, I mean it should be a recall if Audi knows about it and doesn't know what to do about it. Please help!

- Burlington Township, NJ, USA

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